ShPTF – Muju Group: Seasons of Love

Stories of the Characters, Our Love

ShanghaiPRIDE Theatre Festival presents Seasons of Love, a show by an all-female cast produced by Muju Group
A passionate work that will give voice to love
Hey, can you see the colors of love approaching us?
Hey, can you listen to the sounds of seasons changing?
In Summer Love, Lan is sentimental, nervous and confused, yet dares to love without hesitation
In Autumn Love, Bai is patient, eager to settle down and to make promises that will last forever
In Winter Love, Zi is like a deadlock, no one can see that underneath her indulgence lies a deep love
In Spring Love, Qing is sincere, “regardless of the distance between us, you are daytime, I am night”
As seasons change, four love stories are unfolded…

In Seasons of Love, Lan, a young professional, meets Bai, a mature, good-looking entrepreneur woman, her wild and outspoken co-worker Zi, and their indulgent colleague Qing, whose girlfriend lives abroad. Lan and her girlfriend loved each other deeply but Lan’s inferiority complex brought their relationship to an end.
At a certain point, Lan realizes that the company is facing a crisis which causes a severe conflict between Bai and Zi. However, the company crisis seems to be related to Bai’s personal life. How will the company overcome the crisis? How will the four characters find their true love?

Producer: Zhao Mu, founder of Muju Group, young director, producer
Graduated from Directing Department of Shanghai Theatre Academy, Zhao has experience running big scale cultural projects.
Zhao’s works include A Dream Drama, Reigen Arthurschnitzler, Combat de nègre et de chiens, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Opera Rigoletto, Giuseppe Verdi.

Producer’s Note
It was at the wonderful encounter with the director, with similar art recognition and value of love that led to the birth of this work.
When I was listening to Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons & Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, many vivid pictures came into my mind. Then just the other day, I thought why don’t I compare my understanding of love to the four seasons? It would be a fantastic show.
Because, Seasons of Love represents each of our love story.

Director: Yang Jueman, young director
Yang graduated from the Directing Department of the Central Academy of Drama, later studied in France and is currently doing his PhD in the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Director’s works include “Romeo” and “Juliet”, Yuzuru, White Elephant, Six Playwright-searching Roles.

Director’s note
Love perhaps is the third inevitable subject, after life and death. Why exactly do we keep searching for love?
With this question, I want to lead you into a world where these four characters’ love and relationships go beyond notions of right or wrong. Their love stories, entangled in confusion, frustration and helplessness, are full of twists and turns.
What we appreciate is every encounter.

Why is it an all-female troupe?
Acting should be consistent with the show. This theatre presents the confusion and passion of four completely different young women by showing their love stories in a career plot setting. What would be the most appropriate way to express this theme?
Cross-gender acting has been practiced in Chinese Honan Opera and Japanese Takarazuka theatre, showing us that female acting as male characters may portray love in a richer and subtler manner.
This time, Muju Group produced an urban, modern love show. We believe that breaking gender norms will bring us closer to the audience.

About Muju Group
Muju Group is an academic writing and performing theatre group with a cast of stunning female actresses.
Muju Group places theatre in an urban modern life setting, digging deep into humanity. The Group will produce a series of theatres that will respectively focus on love, lust, power, sex with urban life as a plot setting, i.e. tetralogy.
[LOVE] Four Seasons of Love
Unique characters description and updated interpretation on love give a unique style to this show. It’s centered on the career and love of urban dwellers, presenting their careers, while interpreting and analyzing their love stories.
[Cross-gender Character]
All male characters are played by female actresses. We believe that women are more suitable to play male characters. All female actors are professionals who will present love better playing men in love than men playing themselves in love.

Cast
Playwriting: Yang Jueman, Zhao Mu
Presenter/producer: Zhao Mu
Director: Yang Jueman
Playwright: Ye Shulin
Executive producer: Wu Yajing
Stage design: She Yajun
Light design: Shen Yun
Style design: Min Yichun
Audio design: Qian Yifan
Stage supervision: Li Zhaoxing
Cast:
Master Ran
K.O.
SUN
Yuan Jun
Nia
Vivi
Yi Zhi
Date & Time:
Thursday 16-June 19:30
Friday 17-June 19:30
Saturday 18-June 14:30, 19:30
Sunday 19-June 14:30
Venue: Pudong New Theatre – 143 Pudong Avenue, Pudong New District (near North Nanquan Rd)
Language: Chinese with English subtitle
Ticket: RMB66, RMB166, RMB266, RMB366, RMB466

Pre-book your tickets by scanning the QR code.

~生为平常 I Am Me~